Why Move When You Can Get a Loft Conversion?

Suddenly, the house you’re living in just doesn’t seem big enough. Maybe you have a new baby on the way, a child who has come home unexpectedly from university or a friend staying with you on a long-term basis. Whatever your reasons for feeling like you need to move, stop right there! There’s no reason to move when you can simply extend the space you already have in your home with a loft conversion.

Do I need Planning Permission?

It’s best to contact your local authority planning department, who are best placed to advise you if planning permission is needed for your loft conversion. Of course, if you live in a rental property, you can’t even consider doing this without permission from the landlord – and most landlords won’t grant it, after all, it’s not your property. However, if you are a long term tenant with a good relationship with your landlord, it may be worth your while approaching them to see if this is something they might consider investing in. The loft conversion will increase the value of their property; and will secure your rental income if the lack of space is making you consider moving home. Whilst some conversions will require planning permission and others won’t, this will depend on a range of factors including whether or not your proposed loft conversion will have a window. It’s always best to check before spending a fortune on detailed plans and architect’s plans

Should I do it myself?

Whilst it can be tempting to think that it’s easy to convert your loft without any help, you would be mistaken. Unless you’re a qualified tradesman or will have help from friends in the industry, you need to hire a team of experts to help, and it can even be beneficial to hire an architect at the planning stages. You’re making changes to the structure of your home, and this is not an area where you want to be taking risks of any kind.

What will it Cost?

It is usually far cheaper to get a loft conversion than to move house – consider some of the costs that will be involved in your move:

Estate agency fees (for both selling and purchasing)

Stamp duty

Mortgage arrangement fees

Removal and packing equipment costs

Loans to cover a cash shortfall (such as a bridging loan)

As you can see, there are many expenses associated with moving, and this is just the start. The property market in the UK is on the rise this year, with more people purchasing than in 2012 – mortgage rates are more reasonable than they have been since the recession, and so in theory it should be easy enough to sell your home. However, depending on the location of your property, it could take anywhere from a few months to over a year to sell – do you really want to be waiting around for that to happen, and compromising on living space whilst you do so? When you consider that the average loft conversion takes less than 8 weeks to complete from start to finish and could add more than 10% to the value of your home, it’s definitely worthwhile investing in a loft conversion rather than wasting time and money moving house.

Converting your loft into a living or sleeping space is a great way to make the most of space that’s already present in your home. Cheaper than moving house and a great project to sink your teeth into this summer, a loft conversion is the perfect solution for those who are feeling short of space – no packing boxes and removal vans required!

This article was written by the team at Prolink, a removal company based in Ireland.